Daddy Next Door

by Tina Lee

  He stepped off the branch and landed softly. He walked over to the bark of the tree and drew a X with his knife. “Okay. Show me what you can do.”

  “Tell me what you saw.”

  Dante pointed. “Up ahead there are a herd of dear drinking water. You only have one shot. If you miss, the others will be alerted and they will all flee.” He touched the X. “Now, show me what you can do.”

  I took my stance, drew my arrow, aimed and wait for my shaking hands to steady. I was more nervous than I thought. He was just there, watching, judging me. I took a deep breath. I could hear my father saying Steady Kitara. I stopped my breath and let go of the arrow. Shooting it into the tree, but barely missing the X.

  I looked at him, and to my surprised, he seemed impressed. “Again.” He said.

  I shot again and again and still I missed. Something was off yet I couldn’t pin point what it was. I tried again and I missed, this shot missing the tree completely. I knew what he was thinking, that a silly earth girl can’t get a shot right. “I can do better.” I said.

  I aimed at the X.

  “Wait.” Dante said. He walked over to me. “It’s your stance.” He came behind me, I could feel his hard chest pressing against my back. His hands slid in-between my thighs and pushed them apart. “Your legs were too close together.” His trailed hand along my spine, causing my whole body to tingle. “Straighten your back.” His hands guided my hands into position. “Don’t be so tense.” He said softly into my ear. His warm breath tickled my neck.

  He stepped off. “Now try again.”

  I took slow breaths. Don’t be so tense.

  “The only thing that matters right now is your arrow and your target. Block out everything.”

  The only thing that matters is my arrow and my target. I fired. It shot right into the X.

  “Good.” Dante said immediately. “Let’s move to our dinner.”

  I felt I was ready but at the same time felt I wasn’t ready, that made sense and at the same time it didn’t. My heart was beating out of my chest. I wondered if this was how every killer started out, nervous and scared, then as they kill more, it becomes effortless. I would never want to reach that stage.

  We walked softly through the woods, our steps silent and without trace. We hear the running water in the short distance, and the herd of Deer moving about. On sight of the river, we stopped and took cover behind the trees. The Deers all go about their lives unaware to the fact that their predator—me—was deciding on my prey. I was a predator. I hated how that felt.

  “Which should I choose?” I asked him. It didn’t really matter, I just didn’t want the guilt of knowing I chose a animal to kill. I grew up in a family that hunted, yet I was still so squeamish.

  There was one drinking water by the river. It was big in size and its meat would last us. I took my stance and aimed. I slowed my breathing and relaxed my muscles. I focused on its chest, hoping I could damage his vital organs and kill him quickly. All I needed to do now was to let go of the arrow.

  “Why are you hesitating?” Dante asked.

  I didn’t answer.

  “What you’re doing is the natural law. We kill to eat, if not, we will starve and die. And when we die, other animals will come and feed on us. Then another predator will feed on that animal.”

  “Yeah, I know. The Food Chain.” Nothing else mattered. Only thing that mattered was my arrow and my target. There was silence. My vision was clear. My finger let go of the arrow and it set travel on its deadly path, tearing through the wind. The Deer had no time to react, and just like that, I killed for the first time.

  Dante smiled. The first time I had seen him smile.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  “That look on your face. It’s adorable.”

  I started blushing uncontrollably so I turned my head away. He should smile more. My God. That man was beautiful.

  Dante gutted the Deer and stripped all that was needed. The remains were left to give back to the land. Dante said the land had given us food and we should give in return. We then headed back to the village. I hunted, so he would cook, and I left him to it.

  I walked around more, which he advised against. If it was up to Dante, I would sit in the same the same spot all day. I went around the village and cleaned what I could, throwing away the burned debris and washing away the blood stains. It wasn’t a big improvement but it looked better.

  I came back to see the smoked venison already prepared. And I must say, it smelled delicious. Dante explained how he crushed the seeds of the bitter fruit and used it to season the meat.

  He was talking a lot more than when we first met. I was growing on him, and he was growing on me too. We sat on the floor and ate. He was so kind as to give me some of his after I had already finished mine. It was so tasty, I felt like I was in heaven. I didn’t think he understood how much joy food gave me.

  The night got so chilly that Dante gave me his coat. It was thick and heavy so it kept me warm. There were woods in the fire place that we could have used but that would have given away our location. I tightened the coat around me, the Keeba people did not build windows that could close so all the cold air came in. I didn’t mind it at all, at least I could see the night sky, and it was a nice view.

  The stars were faint because of the dominant Duo Moons’ light and the moons were still full but further apart. They would continue to move apart until one is cast into the shadows of the world and the Duo Moons will break, which would result in the portal being open for that time. It was only couple more days until I could go home. I hoped everyone wasn’t worried sick, especially my dad, his heart cannot handle much. I was afraid he would worry himself to death. Be strong, father.

  “Are you missing home?” Dante asked, as if he read my mind.

  “Yeah.”

  “You’ll be home soon, Kitara. You are safe with me for the time being.”

  I believed every word, I always felt safe around him. I grew curious about his past. He seemed like a loner and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. “Do you have any family?” I asked.

  “No. I cannot have a family.”

  “Because you’re a demon?”

  “No, because I am a leader. The people of this land depend on me to fight; a family would only distract me.”

  “You are there for everyone, but who is there for you?”

  “There is no time to care about me.”

  “Don’t you feel lonely at times?”

  “Yes. I am part human and I cannot escape that. This is why I constantly remind myself of why I do what I do, and who I do it for. I love everyone here. And for those I love, I will sacrifice.”

  My heart sank for him. Dante, you sad man. For the first time, he seemed so human and vulnerable, and it might be totally irrational but I deeply cared for him. He had captured my heart in the very short couple of days I’ve spent with him, with little or no effort at all. It’s almost as if I’ve met him before, in another place, another time, another life.

  “So you have no one at all? Mother? Father? Significant other?”

  “My birth-givers died many moons ago. I am older than you think. And—” He paused. “I had a wife.”

  “Had?”

  “She was killed by Queen Alexandra. They looked for me, and when they couldn’t find me, they killed her. I share responsibility for her death.”

  “Don’t say that. I’m sure she doesn’t think that.”

  “It’s the truth.” He turned to me. “You look like her.”

  A smile stretched across my cheek. I didn’t know how to react. A part of me was glad that he could see her in me, while the other part questioned if he would ever see me when he looked at me. “I didn’t know her but I’m honored. She must have been quite a woman to put up with you.”

  Dante laughed. I could hear the walls he had erected breaking into pieces. “She was.”

  We stayed up and watched the sky, and I loved every moment of it. He had an interesting way of
thinking. He believed we were all connected. “Kitara, you are within creation, and creation is within you. He told me. Never had I felt more significant. Like I had a purpose in this world. Dante, you truly are a remarkable man.

  I could not sleep no matter how hard I tried. I just lay there and stared at the ceiling. I wondered about the war and what will come of it all. I tried not to think of the possibility of Dante dying but that is what happens at war, lives are lost. I remained positive, which was funny because I was never usually an optimist.

  Dante was shivering in his sleep; i didn’t know someone like him could have nightmares. All of a sudden I was flung to the corner of the small hut by a shock wave. Something was happening to Dante, he woke up screaming a language I could not understand. The force pinned me to the wall and sent everything crashing into the corners. The screaming Dante ripped off his clothes and huddled on the floor, fighting himself.

  “What’s wrong?!” I shouted. The force stopped and I wasn’t pinned to the wall anymore. Dante opened his eyes and once again I met those devilish red eyes that I saw that night. It felt like looking death right into the face.

  “Run Kitara! RUN!”

  “No!” I shook my head.

  “You fool, do as I say! Run!”

  I refused. Not again, no more running. There were crackling sound coming from his body as his bone structure began to change. His body grew bigger and wider, long claws grew from his fingers and his arms stretched longer. His jaw broke, stretched and rejoined, and from his new widened mouth grew sharp teeth. Something was poking out of his back from under his skin, he crashed to the ground in agony, and out from his back came two large wings with feathers identical to the one on his coat. The screaming stopped and he slowly rose. His chest was rock hard and his rigid sweaty abs stood out, a sweat bead fell through the creases of his abs and ran down his pelvis.

  “You should have ran when you had the chance.” It said. That was not Dante. His red eyes never left me for a second. Everything about him was frightening; from his eyes to his voice to his wicked mischievous grin.

  “Who are you?” I asked.

  “I have many names. The one I am famously known as is ‘Bectaka; the demon from the abyss’

  “What do you want with Dante?”

  He made a distorted laugh, one of the most disturbing things I have ever heard. “You see, it is he who had seek me.”

  “What could Dante possibly want from you?”

  “Everything. Dante is no more than a powerless and weak Neo human. Both of which will not help you win wars.”

  “No.” I said in disbelief.

  “Yes! I was resurrected from my darkness to provide Dante with this strength and power that he holds so dear. Without me; he is nothing.” His large wings flapped and it sent me flying across the room. It laughed at my weakness. “ You look so tasty.”

  He walked towards me, and when I tried to grab Dante’s sword, he flapped his wings again and sent me crashing into the wall. That one knocked the air out of me and I struggled to get on my feet. He stood over me like a cat playing with its food and raised his claw in the air but before he could strike, my hand started to glow and the demon quickly jump back.

  He flapped his wings and and sent me flying into the wall. Why was my hand glowing? The ruby I had found earlier may had been responsible. Was it permanently fused with my hand. It was starting to really scare me.

  The demon stood his distance, refusing to look at the light. Whatever that was in my palms was protecting me, I could feel it. This new energy. I felt more alive than I ever did before. I took a step closer to it and it took a step back.

  “You can’t touch me.” I said,

  It laughed. In its grizzly voice, it replied. “I’m afraid not.”

  “Why?”

  “Fused in your palm is a spirit stone, which I find truly bothersome. You touched it and it activated.”

  I held my hand out. “Leave! I want Dante back.”

  “Pure, you may have escaped my touch, but I can surely kill you. How many times would I have fan you into the wall before I crack your skull?”

  I gulped. I saw his wings stretched and flapped. My body flew in the shelves, knocking over and breaking all of our pottery pots. I let out screaming wail. I sprung to my feet and charged at him, if he was so afraid of the stone, what would happen if I touch it? Before I could get close enough to grab it, its wings sent me crashing into the broken pots. It didn’t have to move, its wings alone could finish me off.

  I was out of options. I had a small dagger in my waist, but if I can’t get close then what use is it. And throwing it would be a bad idea, it would just blow it back my way. My body didn’t bother to move, it seemed to have already accepted the defeat.

  The demon breathed heavily. “It’s ashame that I will never taste your flesh. Your blood is tainted with the spirit stone. So, now I have no use for you.” It walked around the room, still keeping its distance. “Listen to me, Pure. When the portal opens again, leave. You will only distract Dante from our ultimate purpose; the fates of everyone depend on him. You will only weaken him.”

  He looked at me for a response. I had none.

  He continued. “This war is bigger than you. You’re just a wandering Pure who stumbled upon this world. Leave it, you don’t belong here. If you truly care for him, you leave and never look back.

  My body was weak. Too weak to even speak.

  His last words sounded jumbled and barely comprehensible. “Go Pure, go. My dirt shall not tarnish your soul, into the depths of darkness I go, the darkness from which I came.” He fell to the floor and howled, everything began shifting and his wings retracted into his body. I met his red eyes once more before it disappeared and Dante’s amber eyes rose from the darkness. After a minute it was just Dante’s body lying there, naked and asleep. It was over. It was gone.

  Dante

  I bring pain to everyone around me. And Kitara was no different. I lost control of myself and did horrible things. I was lucky, it could have been worse, and that would have destroyed me, knowing I was responsible for her death. I’m tired of harming the ones who get close to me. When the portal opens again, she must leave.

  Usually, I had more control of the demon inside me. For it to take over my body, it would have to use a lot of its power. Was its hunger for the Pure that strong that it would drain itself and take over just to eat her?

  What saved her was the spirit stone, its natural energy repelled the Demon. It protected her, and healed her surprisingly quickly. From what she described, she should have been in way worse condition, yet she was up and about like nothing had ever happened. Could she ever forgive me? I didn’t expect her to, and I don’t deserve it.

  In a few more days, the Duo moon will part and the spirit gates will open briefly. It was my priority that she made it home, where it was safe, and far away from me.

  The sun was setting, the light fading on the village left a orange hue. It was a painter’s delight. I sat outside the door while Kitara took a bath inside. She worked hard today. She was determined to leave the village in the best condition possible. It baffled me as to how determined she was. She didn’t owe these people anything, she had never met or spoke to anyone of this race, then what drove her to do what she did. There was goodness in her. Like you, Lydia. She not only resembled you, but she had your heart as well.

  I knew I shouldn’t have, but I kept replaying seeing the water drip off her naked body. My heart was racing. I had forgotten how beautifully a woman’s body was crafted, everything was perfectly placed, a living art, and I wanted admire it some more. Lust and temptation crept its way into my thoughts, I must dismiss it, it would only distract me.

  After what happened the night before, I was afraid to sleep tonight. Kitara slept quietly by the window, she was looking at the moon before she sailed away into a slumber. Only at slumber was she ever silent, during the day she would press me to answer questions and explain how things work here. As distracting
as it was, I appreciated the companion.

  I closed my eyes. My body needed rest, it would be foolish not to recuperate.

  I was awakened by a sound. I sprung to my feet and hid behind the window. I looked out into the dawn but saw no one. I used one of the techniques of the Keeba people, by placing my ear to the dirt and listened keenly for vibrations. By the velocity and frequency of the vibrations, they could differentiate between man and animal. Entering the village were four men, and no doubt it would be men of the Queen.

  It was strange that they would return here, after already killing its people. I feared that they came for Kitara but that was unlikely. They had no animals with them, therefore they could not have smelled her. They were here for other purposes.

  It was best to avoid confrontation as long she was in my world. The news of another Pure would have the Queen sending her men for her. And that would further complicate the rebellion.

  “Kitara.” I whispered. She was in too deep of a sleep to hear. I shook her until she woke.

  “W-what? Jesus Chr—” She said. I held my hand over her mouth.

  “We have to go.” I whispered. Her eyes narrowed into my eyes.

  I removed my hand. “What’s happening?” She whispered, a slight tremble in her voice.

  “There are four men approaching. Grab your bow. You have to leave.”

  “Wait. You’re coming too, right?” She looked at me with wide eyes.

  “No. Go to the woods and stay there. I will meet you there after I’m done with these guys.”

  She tugged on my shirt. “Come with me. We can run together.”

  “We can’t.”

  “Why!”

  “Because I think I know what they are after.” I held her hand. “This is what the queen is looking for. She wants the spirit stone and now you posses it. They will find you, so I have to take care of them before they find you.”

  “Now go. Run.”

  She shook her head, then I saw something that ached my heart. There was tears running down her cheeks. I wiped the tears from her cheek. “Don’t cry.”